Meet our Team

At Sydney Drug Lawyers, we pride ourselves on being Sydney’s best drug defence team.

Our specialist drug defence lawyers are passionate about the law and possess the experience and expertise to defend all types of drug charges – and in many cases get charges dropped before they even reach court.

Our lawyers have exceptional courtroom skills and an excellent rapport with members of the legal profession, enabling us to consistently get the best results for our clients.

We fight for justice in cases that other lawyers have deemed ‘unwinnable,’ often helping our clients to avoid a criminal record.

Our team currently comprises seven expert drug lawyers, each of whom possesses a wealth of experience in order to ensure that our valued clients get the level of service that they deserve.

So whether you’ve been charged with small possession or commercial drug importation, look no further.

Give us a call on 02 9264 5778 now and speak to us about a FREE first consultation to discuss your matter.

Ugur Nedim

Mr Ugur Nedim is the Principal of Sydney Criminal Lawyers®.

He has a distinguished career as an exceptional criminal defence lawyer and has been recognised by the Law Society of NSW as an Accredited Criminal Law Specialist for since 2005.

Mr Nedim commenced his criminal defence career in 1992 as a law clerk with specialist criminal law firm Brezniak Neil-Smith and Co, under the mentorship of legendary criminal defence lawyer Angus Neil-Smith (now retired).

He excelled academically – completing a combined Bachelor of Laws / Bachelor of Arts degree, then a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice and finally a Master of Laws degree at Sydney University achieving a rare ‘high distinction’ grade average.

He commenced practising as a courtroom criminal defence lawyer in late 1998; independently representing clients in a range of criminal & traffic cases.

However, he now focuses on serious and complex crime, with a special emphasis on corporate crime and investigations, large-scale fraud, commercial drug importation and supply, and murder/manslaughter cases.

Mr Nedim is a true specialist because he has always practised as a criminal defence lawyer – not a prosecutor, general lawyer or commercial lawyer, which have little relevance to high quality criminal defence work. Over and above this, he has independently carried his cases from start to finish since the start of his legal career – undertaking advocacy (courtroom) work where other lawyers may need the assistance of others.

Mr Nedim has developed specialised procedures, methods and techniques to achieve desirable outcomes for his corporate and individual clients.

He is respected for his ability to grasp large volumes of complex material, identify the relevant issues and formulate winning strategies, and his high-quality work is consistently praised by magistrates, judges and clients alike.

With Mr Nedim, clients can rest assured of receiving the best defence whatever their particular criminal or traffic case may be.

Fouad Awada

Mr Fouad Awada is a senior criminal lawyer with a wealth of experience representing clients in courts throughout NSW, ranging from Children’s and Local Courts to the NSW Supreme Court and NSW Court of Criminal Appeal.Prior to joining Sydney Criminal Lawyers®, Fouad worked for years as a defence lawyer with sole carriage of a large number of criminal and traffic cases – with the responsibility of independently undertaking those cases from commencement to finality.

He proved himself to be a fearsome and formidable courtroom lawyer, respected by colleagues, prosecutors and magistrates and judges alike.

He is uniquely experienced in defending corporate clients against prosecutions for substantial alleged regulatory offences, and in providing exceptional representation against Crime Commission and ICAC prosecutions, and ‘white collar’ criminal prosecutions generally.

A passionate and dedicated defence lawyer, Fouad fights to have charges dropped or downgraded at an early stage in the proceedings – in order for his clients to get on with their lives with minimal disruption.

He is committed and compassionate towards his clients, providing them with guidance and support throughout what can be a stressful and anxious period in their lives.

He prides himself on providing accurate advice about the law and legal options in a way that is easy to understand, and has represented clients from a diverse range of backgrounds.

Fouad speaks fluent Arabic and has close ties to the Arabic community. He lends his time to lecturing youth and is actively involved with a number of charities, including the St Vincent De Paul Society, Red Cross Foundation and Legacy.

Fouad is an integral member of Sydney’s best criminal defence team.

Avinash Singh

Mr Avinash Singh is an exceptional senior criminal lawyer who has been a member of the Sydney Criminal Lawyers® defence team for several years.

Mr Singh commenced his career as a law clerk to some of the finest criminal defence barristers in Australia, gaining valuable insight into advocacy skills in the higher courts.

After working as a lawyer with another firm, he was handpicked to join our team and worked closely with our principal Mr U. Nedim on a number of serious and complex cases, assisting to devise and implement strategies to win matters by having them withdrawn by the prosecution or thrown out of court.

His unique experience and insight have since allowed him to consistently achieve outstanding results in many of the firm’s most serious and complex cases, ranging from allegations of multi-million dollar frauds, to commercial drug importation and supply, to armed robbery, sexual assault, serious firearms charges and murder cases.

Mr Singh is extensively experienced in a range of appeals – from driver licence appeals in the Local Court, to severity and conviction appeals in the District Court, to appeals in the New South Wales Court of Criminal Appeal and defending appeals by the Crown.

He also has a wealth of experience in sentencing matters in both the Local and District Court, defended hearings, section 32 mental health applications and bail applications in the Local, District and Supreme Courts. And of course, he meticulously prepares and exceptionally executes trial matters in the District and Supreme Court.

He is a true criminal defence specialist who is passionate about achieving optimal results for his clients, whatever their case may involve.

Maryanne Nguyen

Maryanne was admitted as a lawyer in 2004 and joined the Sydney Criminal Lawyers® team in 2009.She is an experienced courtroom advocate representing clients in all types of criminal and traffic cases, ranging from drink driving, larceny, assaults and drugs to complex fraud, money laundering, sexual assault and murder charges.

Maryanne regularly represents clients in the Children’s Court, Local Court, District Court and Supreme Court of New South Wales for all manner of hearings, trials and appeals.

She is a dedicated, passionate and highly astute Senior Criminal Defence Lawyer, and is recognised for her exceptional ability to accurately advise clients about their options and the best way forward, to implement effective defence strategies and to persuasively argues cases inside the courtroom.

Maryanne speaks fluent Vietnamese and has close ties to the Vietnamese community, which benefits her Vietnamese clientele.

She regularly receives glowing testimonials for her dedication and compassion towards clients, and her ability to consistently deliver outstanding results in difficult circumstances.

Maryanne is an invaluable member of Sydney’s best criminal defence team.

Ali Saleh

Mr Saleh is a Senior Criminal Lawyer with a wealth of experience representing clients from a diverse range of backgrounds in courts and tribunals throughout the state, from the Local and Children’s Courts to the District and Supreme Courts of NSW.He commenced his career working with disadvantaged people at the Parramatta Community Justice Clinic before moving on to gain experience with specialist criminal law firms in Sydney, and finally moving up to become a member of Sydney’s best criminal defence team.

Mr Saleh has built a solid representation as an exceptional courtroom advocate, consistently achieving outstanding outcomes and earning the respect of his clients, his peers and the judiciary.

His advocacy portfolio ranges from Local Court defended hearings, to Local and District Court sentencing hearings, to bail applications in the Local, District and Supreme Courts, severity and conviction appeals in the District Court, and complex criminal trials.

He appears in all types of matters, from drink driving, drug possession, assault and AVOs all the way up to murder, commercial drug importations and supply, sexual assault and large-scale fraud trials.

Mr Saleh is a dedicated defence lawyer who is passionate about fighting for his clients and ensuring they are kept informed throughout the criminal process. He works tirelessly to achieve optimal outcomes in the shortest possible time – allowing his clients to move on with their lives with minimal disruption.

He is meticulous when it comes to the preparation of complex criminal cases, and has an excellent track record of getting cases withdrawn or charges downgraded through careful analysis of the evidence, independent investigation of facts at issue and intense negotiations with police and the DPP.

Mr Saleh’s clients can rest assured that they will receive the highest quality representation from a respected lawyer with the experience, dedication, passion and commitment to achieve exceptional results – whatever their case may involve.

Sherleen Chand

Ms Sherleen Chand is a Senior Criminal Lawyer with an impressive and varied career, which has seen her involved in Australian Taxation Office prosecutions all the way up to preparing and defending complex criminal trials.With a strong work ethic and considerable specialist criminal law experience, Ms Chand is known for her thorough preparation of cases, high level of client service and exceptional presentation inside the courtroom.

She appears in courts throughout the Sydney metropolitan area on a daily basis, in matters ranging from licence appeals, assaults, drug possession and drink driving cases to commercial drug trials, sexual assaults, robbery and substantial fraud allegations.

She is respected by magistrates, judges and prosecutors alike for her ethics, professionalism and cutting edge knowledge of criminal and traffic law. She is an impressive advocate inside the courtroom and a persuasive negotiator when dealing with police and the DPP, which allows her to have cases dropped when others may fall short.

Ms Chand’s experience ranges from Local Court hearings, to sentencing hearings in the Local and District Courts, severity and convictions appeals in the District Court, bail applications in the Local, District and Supreme Courts, and instructing counsel in lengthy jury trials.

She goes above and beyond when it comes to trial preparation, giving clients the edge when they are facing one of the most important events in their lives.

She keeps her clients updated and informed throughout criminal proceedings, helping to ease their burden however difficult their situation may be.

Ms Chand’s clients benefit from her work ethic, professionalism and demonstrated commitment to their interests.

Saba Rezae

Saba Rezae is a Senior Criminal Defence Lawyer who has practised exclusively in criminal and traffic law for several years.He has appeared in courts and tribunals throughout the state in a wide range of cases, from AVOs, common assaults, larceny and drug possession cases to trials for aggravated robbery, commercial drug importation and supply, aggravated sexual assault and causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

Saba is passionate about achieving exceptional results for his clients, whose interests are well served by his ability to develop effective case-strategies, ascertain deficiencies in prosecution evidence and fight to have charges withdrawn, downgraded or thrown out of court.

Saba is a seasoned court advocate who has the ability to effectively communicate his clients’ arguments, to systematically dismantle prosecution witnesses on the stand and to persuade magistrates and judges into agreeing with defence submissions.

He has extensive knowledge of criminal and traffic laws, procedures and processes, and enjoy constantly updating that knowledge to ensure his clients benefit from his expertise.

He is acutely aware of the stress and anxiety clients can face in criminal cases, and endeavours to put them at ease in the knowledge that they have engaged a lawyer who works tirelessly to further their interests.

Saba is an outstanding criminal defence lawyer and an integral member of the Sydney Criminal Lawyers® defence team.

Eddie Nedim

Mr Ender (‘Eddie’) Nedim is a Highly Respected Senior Criminal Defence Lawyer.Eddie has over a decade of experience in criminal defence and has produced a string of enviable results in serious criminal cases – especially murder, sexual assault, fraud and commercial drug cases.

Many of the clients in those cases were previously advised by other criminal law firms that they had little or no chance of success.

Eddie is a highly astute defence lawyer with an in-depth knowledge of criminal law, practice and procedure.

He has the rare ability of being able to get criminal cases dropped when the prosecution evidence appears to be strong.

He regularly achieves this by:

Issuing subpoena to obtain all potentially relevant materials,
Thoroughly interviewing witnesses and obtaining relevant statements,
Undertaking views where appropriate,
Engaging forensic experts where appropriate,
Comprehensively analysing the prosecution evidence in the context of case-law and legislation,
Ascertaining factual, legal, procedural and technical problems,
Drafting submissions to the prosecution in terms of those problems, and then
Exerting immense pressure for withdrawal – often foreshadowing applications for defence costs if cases are not withdrawn.
He is relentless in pursuing successful outcomes for his clients.

He also has an outstanding record of winning serious criminal trials when they proceed.

As a testament to his expertise, Eddie is often consulted by other criminal lawyers for advice on criminal law practice and procedure; especially for guidance on defending and winning complex cases.

He is frequently referred difficult matters which are best handled by someone with Eddie’s level of criminal law knowledge and experience.

Eddie Nedim is an indispensable member of Sydney’s best criminal defence team.

Deniz Nedim

Mr Deniz Nedim is an experienced senior criminal defence lawyer who regularly appears in a wide range of criminal and traffic cases, from drink driving, drug possession, assaults to more serious criminal charges.

He also assists Barristers during difficult and complex Defended Hearings and Jury Trials.

Clients benefit from Deniz’s cutting-edge legal research skills, his excellence at briefing medical and forensic experts and his commitment to ensuring that our cases are thoroughly prepared for Trial.

Deniz has developed into a competent and dedicated Senior Criminal Defence Lawyer and is a valuable member of our first-class Criminal Defence Team.

Pamela Saroukos

Pamela has been an integral member of the Sydney Criminal Lawyers® team since 2013.

She is an exceptional defence lawyer who consistently achieves optimal outcomes for her clients.

Pamela is extensively experienced in representing clients for a range of Local Court cases, from drug possession and supply cases, to drink driving and traffic cases, to assault charges and AVOs.

She is also considerably experienced in instructing Counsel in complex District and Supreme Court trials, where she leaves no stone unturned preparing and executing case strategy.

Pamela is a client-focused lawyer, who ensures her clients are fully abreast of all issues at every stage of the court process.

She is an outstanding legal researcher who is able to carefully identify legal issues from the evidence, and devise strategies that produce results.

She is passionate about achieving exceptional results and goes beyond the call of duty to achieve exceptional results for her clients.

Julianne Lim

Julianne is a specialist criminal defence lawyer who is considerably experienced in a wide range of criminal and traffic cases, from drug possession, drink driving, common assault and apprehended violence orders to serious and complex charges including sexual assault, complex fraud, arson and drug supply.

She has an exceptional track record in helping clients to avoid criminal records if they wish to plead guilty, and in achieving dismissals where they wish to plead not guilty and have their cases determined in court.

She is a persuasive courtroom lawyer who is meticulous in her preparation and seamless in her execution.

She has instructed barristers in a number of District Court trials, gathering exculpatory evidence and implementing defence strategies which have been instrumental in achieving not guilty verdicts.

Julianne is a dedicated lawyer who goes the extra mile to ensure her clients are kept informed throughout the court process.

She is passionate about achieving optimal outcomes for all of her valued clients, and is a key member of Sydney’s best criminal defence team.